Ahmedabad: Former Gujarat minister Amit
Shah, arrested by CBI in July in connection with the
Sohrabuddin Sheikh fake encounter case, today moved the high
court for bail after it was rejected by a special court last
week.

"We have filed bail application of Amit Shah in the
Gujarat High Court," his advocate Nirupam Nanavati said.

The BJP leader approached the high court after his
bail plea was rejected by a special CBI court here last week.

Rejecting the bail, Special judge G K Upadhyaya had
observed that there was "eye catching" evidence in the form of
statements, recorded under CrPc, against Shah and there is
likelihood that if the applicant is released on bail, he may
misuse his political powers to hamper investigation.

The court had said that letting Shah, a close aide of
Chief Minister Narendra Modi, achieve his ulterior goal could
in turn prove to be a dent on the judiciary of the state as
well as the nation.

The former minister of state for home was arrested on
July 25 and charged with murder, extortion and kidnapping in
the 2005 case. He is lodged in Sabarmati Central Jail.

Senior advocate Ram Jethmalani will appear for Shah,
while K T S Tulsi will represent CBI during the hearing.

Sheikh, an alleged gangster, was killed on the city`s
outskirts in November 2005 in a joint encounter by Gujarat and
Rajasthan Police. Later, his wife Kauser Bi was also allegedly
murdered.